Dreaming
by Tigris Lilium
Summary: A series of drabbles of the Emerald warrior and his dreamy eyed brunette.
1. Drowning

Title: Interlude - Drowning

Author: BluesyEyes

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, only the idea for this story.

* * *

Sitting on the edge of the pool, she looked over to the deep end where he stood, whistle in his mouth and chest on display. He was training the military swimmers while she was teaching the little children to learn how.

His bright Emerald eyes met hers and she quickly looked away. She hopped back into the water, feeling it tinge her bones in a soothing way. Aerith bent down and lifted a little girl up on her hip, and spun her around playfully and then put her back in the water, "Remember to breath and take a deep breath before you enter the water. Feel the coldness under your arms and through your toes. Doesn't that feel funny?"

"Ms. Aerith, I'm cold." A little boy said and she knelt down and took his hands.

"Know why?"

"No." He whined.

"Because you aren't moving. Everyone, let's get in a circle." Eventually, they were playing a game of getting to know each other's names and making funny noises. Aerith laughed, and joined in the fun. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Emerald eyes were watching her.

* * *

Clad in shorts and a tank, she tossed her freshly washed hair atop her head to dry. She slung the bag over her shoulder and moved out of the employee's only section. She walked around the pool to the lifeguard, "Good night, Josh. See you tomorrow."

"Bright and early. I need to train for the races on Saturday."

"I'll be there, bud." Aerith said, squeezing her friend's foot before continuing on her way out of the pool hall. When she got into the hallways, she saw a few of her little swimmers and their parents.

"Aerith!" The same little boy that had complained about being cold before said as he ran toward her and launched himself into her arms. She picked him up and gave him a hug.

"Aerith, it's nice to see you again."

"You look well, Mrs. Derrin." Aerith noted on the pregnant belly. The redhead had to be about 7 or 8 months pregnant now. She grinned, "A little bit longer."

"And then I'll be a mom. Twice." She flashed a peace sign and then leaned in to give Aerith a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks once again. See you on Thursday."

"Yep. Thursday." Aerith said before moving down a different hallway to the back of the swimming hall to get to her car.

When she got to her car, she unlocked the door and started to open the door. A man stood beside her and grabbed the handle before she did, "Allow me."

"Thank you." She found her cheeks getting warm. She recognized him, but from where she wasn't quite sure. And she wasn't scared of him, no matter how tall and big he was. Big in the sense of muscles, not fat.

She found her thoughts wander while she found his eyes. It was almost like she was staring into brick. Intense, burning but altogether cold and fearless. He was unrelenting as she rested her hands on his chest. Yes, she had met him before.

Wherever it was, it felt just like this. This heat in the pit of her stomach, the explosion in her heart. She witnessed too many things, and in her dreams, she watched as his eyes exploded into a thousand butterfly kisses, his hair brushing against her cheeks as he slowly kissed her cheek.

Goosebumps filled her arms as his own wrapped around her tiny frame, bring her closer. His lips touched hers in the gentlest symphony, as the water enveloped her. She welcomed the warmth he embodied, as his soul opened to her.

She sighed against him, and whispered for him to save her because her soul was slowly drowning.


	2. Burning

Title: Interlude – Burning

Author: BluesyEyes

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, but I do own the ideas for this story.

* * *

Breathing, she closed her eyes to the intense heat of the sun. It shone on her, unrelenting and unforgiving. All around her, she saw red and the steam of the water rising from the ground. She thirsted for something tangible, and her fingers clawed the ground for anything to quench her tongue.

The heat seemed to seep through her palms, like skin to fire. And as she pulled herself up to drag her feet through the desert, she continued looking.

Looking for anything alive, anything green, and anything beautiful.

She had found shade underneath a crook in the rocks at the edge of the desert. As she sat there, a vision came to her. Green… almost emerald like. Something oddly familiar ignited her stomach on fire, making the hot sensation on her skin not only intensify there but to spread to her belly.

She closed her eyes, willed her racing heart to slow.

"Excuse me." A voice echoed in her ears, low, husky and relaxing. Green eyes met comfort and she smiled. Standing to her feet, she noted how tall he was.

"You're in the desert too?"

"Wandering," he clipped. He turned again into the sun and looked up at the sky. She was taken a back at how much his eyes glowed. She also marveled at the sheen on his muscles as he stood without any shirt on.

"You… do you know your way out of here?" She asked.

"No."

"Then do you have any water?" She whimpered, not wanting to leave the comfort of the shade. He made quick work and tossed her his canteen. She took a foul swipe at the thing, gulping down two huge mouthfuls before sighing contentedly. "Thank you…" She said softly.

The man seemed to hesitate before turning toward her and whispering under his breath, "You're welcome."

Aerith smiled, running behind him and wrapping her arms around his torso. She tried to ignore the sensation touching her fingertips, stinging and burning her arms and into her head. She jerked back to stare at the back of his head.

"You…" She whispered, brows furrowing. "I know you."

He looked back at her and she saw those Emerald eyes again. "I do not think that you do. Hurry, soldier, or your body will break down on you."

Frowning, Aerith nodded her head curtly. She went and grabbed her bag, but when she turned around he had disappeared.

All that was left was a cloud of heat and the smoldering on her hand.


	3. Teaching

Title: Interlude – Teaching

Author: BluesyEyes

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, but I do own this idea to this story.

* * *

If she had known, she wouldn't have come to class. It's not that she didn't enjoy painting still life, it was the fact that the still life was nude that made her uncomfortable. Aerith had always been uncomfortable in her own skin, and now she was there having to sketch someone else who _was_ comfortable in their own skin.

When she got into class and sat down, her teacher told them to sit in a circle surrounding a chair. The assignment was given, and she set up her sketchpad and pencils. Whispering to her friend beside her, she didn't miss her friends comment, "I hope he's hot."

Now it was a male, which made it even worse. The female body was so much nicer to sketch, but the male body gave her personal trouble. Frowning, she wrote the date on the top right hand corner and her name in pencil, and wrote 'Sketch #1' down in neat cursive.

Her friend nudged her when the door opened and Aerith instantly sat up straight to gauge the man walking in. He seemed attractive enough, but his eyes were the most unsettling thing about him – Emerald, piercing and cold.

"Now that is what I call eye-candy." Her friend said as the man took off his robe and tossed it to the side and sat on the chair.

It didn't take her long till she put the head of the pencil on paper and started sketching. But first she did a quick review: he had sharp angles to his face, and feline eyes that seemed to see everything. His jaw line was angular, strong and defined. His hair, a strange tint of silver, was brought into a braid and tossed over his shoulder. Her eyes trailed down, noticed the definition in his arms, and she wondered just how much he worked out. Which seemed to be a constant thought as she gazed at his chest and abs – finely chiselled and wholly perfect except for a blemish just left off the center of his diaphragm. He seemed like a statue, only moving to blink and breath, but otherwise he was completely flawless. Her eyes travelled once again and…

Her face lit up in flames as she quickly took her eyes off of him and looked away at anything but him. It took her a few minutes to regain her composure before she could focus again. The pencil was brought back to the paper, and then she looked at him again. In that moment, his eyes lit upon her and changed from cold stone to a strange sort of warmth.

That same warmth spiralled down to her stomach and she couldn't exactly place why she felt that way or what it was that she was feeling.

It was probably just because he was gorgeous and had the body of a Greek god.

"Aerith, he's been looking at you the entire time." The girl to her left said.

Aerith just brushed it off saying, "Naw, he just has a focal point. It's past my shoulder, looking out the window." But even after as she looked back at him, she couldn't help but notice how his eyes were digging into her, searching her.

_Stop it. It's not all about you._ Aerith berated herself again and took a deep breath, concentrating on her work. She was an art student. She would take it seriously and not clown around. Soon enough, she had pushed away all her pride and girlhood and focussed on the assignment at hand.


	4. Breaking

Title: Interlude – Breaking

Author: BluesyEyes

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, only the idea for this story.

* * *

She let out a yell as she kicked the punching bag in front of her. Stupid boy. Stupid father. Stupid mother. She would fend for herself. Stupid abuse, stupid drugs and damn stupid alcohol. She punched again, feeling the blood trickle down her knuckles. All her eyes could see was the black of the punch bag, resembling that of something different.

She saw her boyfriend, who she had caught making out with her best friend the night before. The pain seared through her arm as she punched the bag.

She saw her father, yelling at her, slapping her cheek in a violent manner. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. Another jolting sensation brought her back to her senses.

She saw her mother, sitting in a corner, nose bleeding, with a straw and cocaine in her nose. Her mouth bubbled over as a glazed look overcame her. Her voice screamed in her head as she slammed her shoulder into the bottom of the bag.

She saw the abuse. The way her boyfriend had yelled at her, swore at her and told her she had no right to talk to him the way she did. The way her father hit her. The way her mother ignored her.

And she saw the alcohol, searing down her throat and blinding her to the real truth.

She was in pain. She was cracking and she needed repair.

"Hey lady, the gym's closing. You need to get out of here." A voice came out of no where, a voice that she ignored. She kicked the bag again, only to hear his voice again. She yelled at him to shut up without even turning her attention away.

"Aerith," Another voice entered, slow, calming and aflame with fire. "Calm down."

"No." She hissed, bloody spit coming out of her mouth. Her eyes stung. The bag came to a still and she took advantage of it, throwing each hit into it with a venomous force. "You'll never stop me."

"If I have to." He said again. Aerith let down her guard just for a moment, and soon he was holding on to the sides of her arms, looking down at her. "See, I told you."

"Let me go." She said, voice low and hoarse. She wiped the blood off of her chin on her shirt. His hold did not release, holding her together.

But slowly, each thing she saw seemed to hit her again. Each blow directed straight at her stomach. It was hard to breath. Breathing was shallow, hallow, broken. He never let go of her.

"Please, let me go." She whispered, the sting in her eyes falling towards their feet.

"I told you I wouldn't." He said, "Besides, you'll fall and break if I let you go."

"No. No, I won't. Just please." She pleaded, eyes meeting Emerald ones. They cried out to her, and as his hands let go of her tiny arms, she found herself burrowing himself into his chest.

He smelled of fresh soap, newly showered and clean. He stood like a rock: solid and grounded. And as his arms tightened around her waist, she only wished he could hold on tighter.

"Don't let me go. Just… don't."

He chuckled. A sound like the beating in her heart.


End file.
